A comprehensive review of candidate backgrounds by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has uncovered that over 1,400 political hopefuls facing criminal charges were granted election tickets across five Indian states ahead of recent polls. The report, based on an examination of affidavits and party selections, paints a sobering picture of how deeply crime and politics remain intertwined in several parts of southern and eastern India.
The five states identified — Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry — collectively saw 1,405 candidates declare criminal cases against themselves in their nomination papers. These cases range from charges under the Indian Penal Code to offences under special statutes. The ADR scrutinised the records of 3,539 candidates put up by 51 different political parties across these regions.
Of particular concern raised in the report is that 176 candidates with criminal backgrounds were fielded by their parties without any public justification or explanation. Political parties are not legally required to disclose why they selected a particular candidate, leaving voters largely in the dark about the backgrounds of those contesting on their behalf.
Furthermore, the report noted that 1,229 candidates had their parties file C-7 forms — responses to information requests filed under the Right to Information Act — indicating that there was significant scrutiny around these nominations. The C-7 form is typically submitted when parties respond to RTI queries about candidate selection criteria, and its widespread use here underscores the volume of public interest and questions surrounding these choices.
Legal experts have long argued that voters deserve fuller disclosure about criminal records held by those seeking public office. Currently, while candidates must declare their criminal cases in affidavits filed with election authorities, there is no obligation on parties to explain their reasoning, nor any automatic disqualification for candidates with pending criminal cases.
The ADR has been at the forefront of electoral transparency efforts in India since its founding, regularly publishing data on the criminal and financial backgrounds of elected representatives and candidates. This latest report adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that reform of candidate selection processes remains one of the most pressing challenges for Indian democracy.
